Question: Why should my student group apply for ABSA?

Answer: To support further student body accessibility, ASUC mindfully allocates ~$1.4mm to 400+ student groups of all needs and backgrounds. To prepare succeeding student leaders with sufficient funds and spaces, ABSA provides an opportunity to advocate for your RSO’s future projects and initiatives. 

Question: Last Spring 2024, my student group was allocated funds through ABSA. When is the deadline to use these current funds?

Answer: Until the end of May 2025, your RSO may use your ASUC funds. In June 2025, all ASUC (from ABSA, Contingency, Space Reservation) funds will be reverted back to the ASUC. Your miscellaneous funds (from donations, deposits) will carry over.

Question: Where do I start? How should I approach developing the budget/spaces request for the upcoming year?

Answer: 

1. With your fellow student leaders, review the example ABSA walkthrough and responses. 
2. Look through your CalLink to events that your RSO has hosted (e.g., meetings, socials, workshops). How much funding and space does your RSO currently use, especially large recurring expenses?
3. Do you plan to host similar semesterly events next year? Will these planned events require less or more funding? Considering your RSO’s activities this year, input prospective events on the budget request. 
1. After inputting your events and operational expenses on the budget, the bottom section populates projected allocations for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.
4. Cross-reference the responses of your budget and ABSA application, do they align or are there discrepancies?
5. In the last ABSA response, explain the context beyond your inputted numbers. Were there any extenuating circumstances or changes that affected your RSO’s functioning this year?

Question: What resources are available from the ABSA workshop? 

Answer: Applicants can review the presentation to get tips and insight into the budgeting criteria that the ASUC considers in your application. Please view last year’s ABSA walkthrough for general guidance.

Question: Why are there funding caps on new ASUC-Sponsored RSOs?

Answer: 2202 Student Organization Finance outlines the guard rails for Senate to equitably allocate funds to 400+ student groups. While new RSOs may rely on the ASUC for the majority of their funding, the ASUC hopes to supplement any fundraising and grant writing that your RSO initiates. “Years of sponsorship” demonstrates an RSO’s commitment to empower students and maintain financial responsibility with the ASUC.

Question: What should I mention on ABSA? (Should I leave anything out?)

Answer: Beyond your ABSA application and CalLink transactions history, the ASUC relies on student leaders to advocate for their unique budgetary and spaces needs. With accurate and thorough responses, we can better understand how to accommodate your RSO. We encourage your RSO to keep track of your application responses (upload your PDF submission to CalLink) and budget.

Question: I have submitted my ABSA application before the deadline. Can I make any changes?

Answer: No, you may not edit your form submission nor submit duplicate applications. If you have any considerations about your initial allocation (not application), you may share them on your ABSA appeal form.

Question: I have missed the ABSA application. Can I apply during ABSA appeals?

Answer: No, due to capacity constraints and an accelerated timeline, late applications will not be accepted or reviewed. If you missed the FY26 ABSA application deadline, please consider applying for ASUC-Sponsorship in August 2025. 

Question: My submission will not move onto the next page due to a response error. What is wrong?

Answer:  Certain responses require whole numbers (e.g., 0, 100, no negatives), integers (e.g., -2, 1, 100) or decimals (e.g., 0, 150.23, -10.02). Please follow the data formatting guides in your responses. If the submission still errors, please reload your submission (saves automatically) and try again. Otherwise, contact absa@asuc.org.

Question: I filled out most of the ABSA Application earlier today. However, when I click on my ABSA Application, it says “page not found – ERROR.” How should I proceed?

Answer: To find your “In Progress” submission:

1. Login to callink.berkeley.edu
2. In the upper right corner, click on the circle that either has your initial or your picture
3. Find “Submissions” in the pull down menu
4. All Callink form submissions you have ever started will be listed here, labeled “In Progress”, “Pending”,  “Approved” or “Denied.”

If you click on the form and receive the same error message, please email a screenshot  with the URL to CalLink IT staff: millicen@berkeley.edu

Question: What if my student group isn’t recognized as an RSO by OASIS yet? Or if I did not complete OASIS’ signatory requirements this year? Can we still apply for ABSA?

Answer: No, since OASIS is no longer accepting new RSO applications for the 2024-2025 academic year, your student group is ineligible to apply for ASUC-Sponsorship nor ABSA. MMC response – If they submitted an New Org application on time, and are just in the final stages of the LEAD Center’s granting recognition, then I believe they could be eligible to submit an application, and if they do not end up being recognized for any reason, then the sponsorship can be revoked.

Question: The final budget and spaces allocation are insufficient for the upcoming academic year. What should I do?

Answer: As the ASUC strives to equitably allocate unchanging funds to 400+ unique budgetary needs, please consider applying for the Contingency Fund in August 2025. Fund Your Org – Student Leadership & Engagement highlights campus-wide grants that commonly supplement ABSA funds.

Question: Who can I contact about the application regarding finances?

Answer: Please reach out to absa@asuc.org for general application guidance and finance@asuc.org with budgetary questions.

Question: Who can I contact about the application regarding spaces?

Answer: Please reach out to absa@asuc.org for general application guidance and space@asuc.org with budgetary questions.

A referendum is a vote of the student body on a specific ballot question. The ballot question itself is called a proposition. Propositions can amend the ASUC governing documents, state an opinion of the student body, approve changes to student-initiated fees, and exercise other powers of the Association. Propositions are voted on during regular elections.

Propositions can be placed on the ballot by the ASUC Senate, Graduate Assembly, or by a petition signed by 10% of the student body. To appear in an election, propositions must be placed on the ballot by the end of the filing period. A Proposition Primary Proponent / Opponent Form (described below) must be submitted by the end of the filing period (for legislatively-referred propositions) and before any petition signatures are collected (for voter-initiated propositions). Please read the entirety of ASUC Bylaw Series 4300, linked below, before initiating a proposition.

Student Fee Referenda

Additionally, any propositions relating to student fees must also be approved by the campus Student Fee Referenda Committee (SFRC). Please note that the SFRC has very strict deadlines, and initial contact must be inited with SFRC by October 15 of the preceding year. SFRC will work with student fee referendum proponent through early spring semester to finalize the language of the student fee with the UC Office of the President. SFRC must approve the student fee before it is placed on the ballot. This means that proponents need the final SFRC-approved version of the student fee before the ASUC Senate or Graduate Assembly can pass a resolution placing the proposition on the ballot or before the proponents start collecting signatures to place it on the ballot via petition.

Recall

A recall election is a special type of referendum that can be used to remove any ASUC elected official from office. Recalls can be initiated at any time, by a petition signed by 25% of the number of people who voted in the previous election. Please read the entirety of ASUC Bylaw Series 4300, linked below, before initiating a recall.

Bylaws

To find out more about propositions, how to start a petition to place a question on the ballot, or how to initiate a recall check out ASUC Bylaw Series 4300: Direct Democracy.

Filing Form

Primary Proponents of a voter-initiated (petition) proposition or recall must file a Proposition Primary Proponent / Opponent Form (linked to in the Filing Forms tab) before collecting signatures. Proponents must use the online petition created by the Elections Council; other petition documents cannot be accepted. It can take approximately one to two weeks for the petition to be created by the Elections Council after the form is submitted, so please plan accordingly. The Primary Proponent is required to meet with the Elections Council for a drafting meeting before the petition is created. Additionally, the Primary Proponent must participated in a a public hearing held by the ASUC Senate on the proposition before the end of the filing period (the Senate does not vote to approve the petition or not, but any member of the Senate or student body can question the primary proponent at the hearing).

Primary Proponents of a legislatively-referred proposition must file a Proposition Primary Proponent / Opponent Form (linked to in the Filing Forms tab) after the Senate or Graduate Assembly votes to place the proposition on the ballot, but before the end of the filing period.

ASUC Elections Bylaws

Click here to read the elections rules contained in series 4000 of the ASUC Bylaws. Candidates, parties, and proposition proponents/opponents are responsible for knowing the most up-to-date version of the Elections Bylaws at all times. The Elections Bylaws provide a very comprehensive guide to all policies, rules, procedures, and regulations related to the operation of the ASUC Elections and all involved actors.

Public Documents 

Elections Council Public Documents can be found here.

Campaign Finance Worksheets can be found here.

Campaign Finance Handbook can be found here.

The Audit Report 2018 can be found here.

Tabulator 

The code of the Tabulator, which is used to count votes, is open to public access and can be viewed here.

Tabulator Source Code

Election Results 2018

 The ASUC Elections are organized by the ASUC Elections Council. The Council is an independent body created by the ASUC Constitution, composed of eight voting members. The Chair, Assistant Chair, Prosecutor, and Auditor actively participate in the operation of the elections process. The Public Defender offers independent services to candidates. The Chief Legal Officer, Chief Personnel Officer, and Graduate Assembly Rules Officer generally advise the council and ensure oversight. Additionally, the nonvoting Judicial Council and LEAD Center representatives provide important resources to the Council and act as liaisons to the other branches of the ASUC.

All of Elections Council: elections@asuc.org

Lilian Chang, Elections Council Chair
electionschair@asuc.org

Megan Fox, LEAD Center Designee & Advisor (non-voting member)
mfox3@berkeley.edu

 More information about elections can be found here: 

Infosession Slides 

Infosession Recording